How I Met Your Father
by the narutard imaginator
Summary: Play on the T.V. Show, How I Met Your Mother. Hinata's tale to her children of all her boyfriends and finally at the end... her husband. NejiHina, KibaHina, NaruHina and others.
1. Prologue

_All characters (c) Masashi Kishimoto-sensei_

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

It was late evening and a young mother of three sat on a plush love seat, her children snuggling in any nook and cranny they could find around her. She wore a dark periwinkle kimono with soft lavender lotuses and trim. Her long, dark iridescent hair shone with gold as the sun set. Her light eyes looked about the simple room, trailing to the identical bright eyes of her children. 

She smiled softly at them and looked out of the open doors to the sun and said, "How would you like to hear a story?" She laid her arms around her three miniatures and they brightened.

"Yes, mommy!" a little girl said, her dark blue hair tied in two small braids that rest on her shoulders. The oldest, a boy of five, blinked his large, white eyes in anticipation. The middle child, another girl, nodded and smiled, awaiting the tale to be told. "What's it about, mommy?" The middle child pondered, grasping the lavender obi tight in her small hands.

Hinata smiled sweetly at her children and responded. "How I met your father." Her small children oohed and ahed and drew closer in, the scent of their bubble bath wash reaching her nose. She hugged them close.

"It all started when I was five, and I became the rightful heir to the Hyuuga clan..." she whispered, looking through the sunroof to the stars.


	2. Yo Ho Ho and a Bowl of Ramen

_All characters (c) Masashi Kishimoto-sensei_

* * *

Five-year-old Hinata stood timidly behind her father, an unknown child standing across from her, holding her uncle's hand. He had a happy face, long brown hair, and kind eyes. She clenched her father's robe and shied behind him as the boy whispered to her uncle. He gave the boy a stern look and he quickly turned his head forward.

"Father... w-who is he?" she asked quietly, tugging slightly on the robe. Her father leaned down and told her, "That's your cousin, Neji. He, from now on, is to protect you." Her large eyes grew wider.

She giggled and then ran off away from them and Neji looked to his father. He nodded, and Neji ran after her, the two children playing in the grass. The older twins looked intently at one another when Neji's father smiled sadly, and turned to leave. "Come, Neji," he commanded, standing still.

Neji looked curiously at his father and then waved bye to Hinata, standing and running for his father's hand. They walked off to the branch family's quarters. Hinata sat blushing in the flowers, sniffing the different kinds, feeling the grass. _Cousin Neji_... she thought, smiling. _I hope we can become friends._

Twelve years later, she stood in the center of the Hyuuga training grounds, Byakugan activated, facing an oh-so-familiar face. The strong chin framed by thick brown locks, fierce, blank eyes focused in the same jutsu. Her chest heaved with each breath she took, her feet placed in a strong stance, unlike when she first fought Neji seriously.

Her hands were sweaty and she was braced for an attack. She was surprised when Neji abandoned his fighting stance and stood relaxed. He wiped sweat from his brow and looked unblinkingly into Hinata's eyes.

"You're improving, Hinata-sama. I believe our training is done for today." She was caught off guard for a moment and she looked at the simple clock adorned on the wall. Sure enough, it was five o' clock. She sighed, relieved, and walked over to the raised wooden edge, taking a seat next to a tray with some tea glasses.

Neji took a seat a few feet away on the other side of the tray, the two taking long drinks. She let out another sigh when she had swallowed, Neji only quietly exhaling. They sat a moment in silence while they caught their breath and finished their tea. Neji then stood and began walking out of the room.

"Satisfactory as always, Hinata-sama," he doted as he left the room. She nodded, though she knew he couldn't see, and then looked at her hands.

_Satisfactory_... she thought. _He's been saying that for years. When will it ever be good_? She brushed it off and stood, finishing her tea and proceeding to take the tray to the Hyuuga kitchen. She put the glasses under a stream of hot water, her smooth fingers rubbing the warm glass. She cleaned them with a cloth and set them upside-down on a towel.

She walked out, and through the extensive household to her room. She sat on her bed, looking out her window at the sinking sun. She closed her eyes and smiled, her face resting in her palm. She opened them again and screamed, falling off the back end of her bed. She got up and opened the window.

"Kiba!!" she said shrilly. She was so scared she forgot to add a suffix to his name. He smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Couldn't you j-just use the front door?!"

He smiled. "Of course, but your relatives really scare me," he said, crawling canine-like through the open window. He shrugged in apology and Hinata just sighed, sitting and patting the bed next to her. He smiled gleefully and sat next to her.

"So what is it you want?" she asked, leaning back on one hand. She was still in her training clothes, a v-neck three-quarter sleeve dark blue-gray shirt with net across the neckline, and some capris that bound at the ends, the same color as the shirt.

Kiba had recently been hanging around Naruto, and in that short time, he had adopted some of Naruto's perverted ways. He noticed that when she faced him at that angle against her arm, it made her breasts squish together, causing some major cleavage from his perspective.

"Oh..." he said, struggling to look at her face. "I was wondering... if you wanted to get some ramen... with me." He said this very slowly, hoping that he could give himself more time to look. Hinata, however, stopped leaning on her arm to get up.

_Damn!_ Kiba thought.

"Sure, r-ramen actually sounds pretty good right now." She smiled and added, "Oh, but I need to shower and change... would it be terrible for you to wait while I did?"

Kiba sat on the bed for a moment, dazed, and then answered. "Oh, sure, that's fine. I'll just wait in here, you go ahead and get your clothes together," he stood quickly and pushed her shoulders, urging her to her closet. She walked forward, thumbing through her things. She pulled out her usual outfit, the long purple jacket, net shirt and navy blue pants.

"I'll just be a minute," she said, smiling and going into the small bathroom she had in her room. As soon as the door shut, Kiba ran to the open window and whistled to Akamaru. The large dog came in a moment's notice.

"Akamaru! Quick! I need a way to peek!" Kiba told his dog with desperation. Akamaru gave him a disapproving look. Kiba gave him puppy dog eyes, which had no effect.

"Aw, come on Akamaru! I'm only peeping once!" Akamaru scowled but then nosed around in a pouch Kiba had left outside. He pulled out something shiny and then placed it in Kiba's open hands.

"A mirror! Great thinking, buddy!" he said, roughly petting Akamaru's large, shaggy head. He fed him a piece of beef jerky. He shut the window as Akamaru ran off and crouched down by the bottom of the door. He poked the long, skinny piece of glass under the door and grinned.

"Hee hee..." he chuckled. It provided a wonderful view. But not only was he infatuated with Hinata's beautifully sculpted body, but the bathroom itself. The shower looked like an overgrown basin or oyster shell, with a large silver shower head that nearly sprayed mist rather than water There were no curtains or anything, just the bath and the toilet and the sink.

He watched as the water ran down her smooth body, hugging her curves. His nose began to bleed and he turned several shades of red when she stepped out. She slowly raised her arms and spun around gracefully but not quickly, just enough to allow every angle of her wet body to sparkle in the light and her long, smooth hair to float gently on the air.

Kiba gawked, entranced, but quickly snatched the mirror before she could see it. He wiped his nose, though another trail of blood ran down anyways, and sat on her bed, mulling over the entire scene in his head again. His eyes were closed and he thumbed away the blood on his lip again, blushing and thanking God for the sight.

"I'm almost done, Kiba-kun!" she announced, snatching Kiba from his paradise. He stumbled over his words for a moment, but finally responded.

"O-okay, I'm good here." he walked over to a small oval mirror, making sure he wasn't too obvious. Which... he was. His face was red and there were smudges of blood under his nose.

He licked his thumb and wiped the residue off his lip and then took several deep breaths. He looked again at himself and was satisfied. He was only slightly pink and his nose was clean. He smiled smugly and nodded, turning around just as Hinata walked out. She smiled and closed her eyes, turning her head slightly to one side.

"Okay, let's go," she said. _Oh my God_... _she's so cute_... Kiba thought, trying to keep himself from blushing.

"M'kay!" he said, a little too eagerly as she slipped on her shoes. _Kiba-kun sure is acting weird_... she thought, walking through the door that he had slid open. She thanked him and they walked down the extensive hallways together. Once they left, Kiba put his hand in front of her as to stop her.

He began to whistle for Akamaru, but Hinata stopped him, and said, "Let's just walk, okay? It's really nice outside." She looked up at the darkening sky and kept walking. Kiba stood confused for a moment but then caught up to her.

Once they were at Ichiraku and had their noodles, they began chatting about trivial things.

"So, has Akamaru gone under any special training lately?" Hinata asked, slowly slurping the cluster of noodles she had in her chopsticks. Kiba gulped down a mouthful and then sighed, saying,

"No, not particularly. He did take an ANBU admittance skills test a couple days ago to see if he was capable of joining it with me, if I ever did, that is." He inhaled another load of noodles, proceeding to pick up the bowl and drink some of the soup. Hinata nodded and continued eating her own bowl.

"You aren't going to join the ANBU, are you?" she asked. Kiba set down his bowl and sighed.

"I might," he said, shrugging. "I don't particularly want to, but my sister and mom think it'd be a good idea, what with Akamaru and I making such a kick ass team." He laughed and grinned at Hinata.

She laughed softly, slurping more noodles. "Well... you should do what you want to, Kiba-kun," She closed her eyes and shrugged, "after all, I-I don't see the point in exerting yourself in something you don't want to, ne?" She picked up the bowl and drank a large portion of the remaining liquid.

She set her bowl down and sighed, lifting it to Teuchi. "Teuchi-san, I think I'm done." She smiled and he happily took the bowl for her. Kiba did the same and then reached for his wallet. He pulled out 7500 yen and payed the man, smiling and leaving with Hinata.

"Haha, so, I guess we just went on a date, huh?" he laughed and threw his arms behind his head. "Just playing, Hinata. Besides, if Neji even had a suspicion you had dated anyone, he'd be out to get them."

Hinata laughed quietly and agreed.

* * *


	3. It's Always the Shy Ones

After Kiba and Hinata had finished eating, Neji arrived to escort Hinata to a family meeting. It was a mixed meeting, meaning that both cadet and Main branch members would be present.

When they arrived at the Hyuuga complex, Neji and Hinata were slightly surprised to find that they, and Hanabi, were the only attendants not on the family council.

It was a short meeting, basically telling the three that since Lady Hinata was coming of age, but potentially inadequate, that the family council would deliberate what to do in order to ensure the maintenance of the clan, but in the meantime, that the three should consider their options and possibly put together a plan, and if nothing else, prepare to make a few sacrifices for the clan.

Hanabi agreed without reluctance to whatever the clan needed her for.

Neji and Hinata bowed their heads and agreed to think it over. Afterwards, Hanabi headed for her quarters. Hinata was going to follow, headed to the main branch's side of the complex. She stopped, however, after Neji's calm voice called her.

"Hinata-sama," he said imperatively. She turned around, gave a quick bow of her head, and asked,

"Yes, nii-san?" He motioned to her to come. She walked towards him, and when she reached him, he turned and walked with her. She guessed he wanted to discuss the meeting. She was never really sure with him.

He turned onto the path that headed out of the Hyuuga grounds. She stopped. "Neji-nii-san, where are we going?"

"Somewhere that we can talk without threat of being overheard," he responded. Where he wouldn't get in trouble for questioning the main branch's intentions, he meant. "Would you please follow, Hinata-sama?"

After looking over his shoulder and giving her time to catch up, he continued walking. After they walked the quarter-mile entrance walkway, and were outside of the home, he looked at her and beconed with two fingers and then quickly jumped away.

She was a little shocked, but quickly gained herself and ran after him. After about another good half-mile, they stopped in the thickening brush, to a slightly secluded training site. He walked toward a worn stump and took a seat atop the tall post. Hinata followed suit, sitting to his right. He turned to her after she'd sat and sighed.

He quickly checked their surroundings with his Byakugan for eavesdroppers, and then said softly, "Do you have any ideas to what they might be thinking?"

She shook her head mildly, "You go first, nii-san. I-I... don't ever have anything right."

Timid as always, he thought.

"Well, if you really don't have any suspicions, what do you think they might have meant by 'sacrifices'?" His eyes narrowed at the thought, and Hinata found herself wondering why he wanted to know what she thought first.

"Nii-san," she started, "h-honestly? I do have a... few ideas, but... I don't really understand the way y-you're approaching this..." she fumbled with her nails a bit. "Why are you asking me?"

He snorted and leaned back. "Because it's embarrassing the way they treat you... us, Hanabi..." he closed his eyes. "I figure you deserve some say in it, since you being the heir is at stake, here..." This was some of the strangest behavior she'd seen in a while. Maybe he was losing some bitterness, after all.

"W-well," she said, the tempo in her voice picking up, a light flush covering her face, "I really think they w-want me to give up my title to Hanabi, or..." she stopped, and lightly shook her head.

Neji nodded. "...Or..." he started, "or what?" he glared at her. They both knew they were thinking the same thing.

"Uh," she continued fiddling with her hands, "I think it would b-be too much on their pride to have me give you my title, but it-it's obvious you're the one they really want to take over, so..." her face was darkening rapidly now. She looked pleadingly at Neji, begging him with her eyes to not make her finish.

He nodded again, and hopped off of his stump and walked to hers. His face was at about the same level as her belly button. He wrapped his arms firmly around her waist and lifted her off her seat, her legs instinctively gripped his midsection in response.

"N-nii-san?" she asked, her face several shades darker. "Nii-san, wh-what are you doing?" He didn't say anything, just slowly let her slide farther down his body, until her legs held her well in place, resting on top of his hips, her chin at about his nose. Her heart began racing. She was beginning to feel uncomfortably light-headed.

"I'm..." he thought for a moment, "I'm making sacrifices for the clan." He looked to the side, he was testing the waters of the clan's idea. He smirked slightly. The waters were good for now. He could live with this. Maybe not for too long, though, many old biases were still barely living. He decided to stop thinking about it.

He released his grip on her, but to his surprise, Hinata remained perched where she was. Nervous tension? Maybe. "Nii-san..." she said, finally relaxing enough to unwrap her legs from around him. Her arms slowly followed, although they ended up resting on his chest. "...I..."

He took a few liberties and wrapped his arms around her again. He hugged her close, and then released her. He seemed contemplative as he turned, ready to head back to the household.

"Let's call it a night," he sighed, crouching in a piggy-back style. She blushed slightly, and jumped and his back. His strong arms supported her well as he bounded in the direction of the complex.

When they arrived back at the house, he let her down and they walked the rest of the way. Right as they reached the fork dividing the family into two, Hinata stopped and turned to look at Neji. She looked at the ground, thinking. She looked back up, walked to Neji, gave him a quick hug, and stepped back.

"Good night, Nii-san," she said quietly, bowed her head, and left towards her section of the grounds.

"Good night, Hinata-sama," he whispered after she was gone. He stood in the same place for a while, looking at the ground. Was this what everyone went crazy over? He hoped not. After a few more moments, he turned in the opposite direction to the much larger and much less favored cadet branch sect to sleep.

* * *

When she arrived at her room, she didn't flip on the lights. She just grabbed her night clothes from where they always were folded and put them on in her dark closet. She headed to her bed and got comfortable under the covers. Her first instinct was to scream when a hand went swiftly over her mouth, but for some reason, nothing came out. She simply activated her Byakugan and gently struck the intruder in the chest.

She hadn't had time to realize who it was until they fell on the floor from the strike, simply struck, for she had not used her Jyuuken on him. She recognized him as Kiba when he stood back up and was instantly wanting to know what he was doing in her room at this time, not because she was repulsed, but worried.

"Kiba-kun, why are you here?" she asked quietly. He grinned in the dark.

"Because your cousin stole you," he laughed, "I wasn't done. Dinner is a cheap date."

She quietly laughed and sat up and he sat next to her. She fumbled nervously as she flipped a lamp on. She sat back down and questioned him a bit more on why he didn't just say he was there or have the lights on. He laughed dumbly and shrugged. He said he just wanted to surprise her but forgot to keep track of the time, and also that he's not the smoothest, to justify the mouth covering.

"I would ask you to walk if you weren't already ready for bed," he pouted a bit, "but since you probably don't want to get dressed, and I don't really want to make you get dressed for the second time tonight, I think I'll just go ahead and leave." He smiled sadly and worked open the window.

"Wait," she said. He turned to look at her, anxiety claiming his movement. She stuttered a bit before getting out "I don't know what you should do now." He looked questioningly at her, not understanding the ambiguous words.  
She tried to explain. "I don't want you caught here this late, alone or with me, even if I did w-walk with you, but..." she averted her eyes, "I don't think you being caught here in the morning would be much better..."

Kiba nodded and sat, thinking. "Couldn't you just lock your door and make sure no one gets you in the morning?" She shook her head.

"Neji-Nii-san is responsible for waking me up every day, although I-I'm usually already awake by the time he arrives, he and everyone else h-here has the Byakugan..." She twiddled her fingers. Kiba was humming with thought now.

"What if you put a note on your door saying you were sick or something?" He shrugged and she just explained that she would be waited on. He rubbed his chin in thought. Suddenly he smiled. "I know," he said, leaning towards her to whisper (only for the sake of being close to her, the little dog).

"You can be waiting for Neji in the morning outside of your door and tell him that you'd like some alone time. Huh?" He winked. Hinata smiled and chuckled lightly.

"We'd s-still have to get you out sometime," she said softly, her gaze directed at the floor, Kiba's powerful stare a little too much at this distance; or rather, lack thereof. He thought for a while.

"Does your family have a meeting or something any time tomorrow?" He inquired. Her face lit up and she nodded.

"Tomorrow each branch is supposed to have an organized breakfast, to celebrate Hanabi's birthday..." she smiled weakly at him. "I'm allowed t-to be late."

He grinned widely at her. "Awesome!" he barked, stepping off of the bed, curling up on the floor. He seemed to have a thought. "Um..." he started, "What about Akamaru?" Hinata's eyes widened. She looked out the window at Akamaru's smiling doggy face.

She opened the window and he (barely) jumped through. She laughed softly along with Kiba as Akamaru yawned squeakily and curled up next to Kiba. Hinata stepped off of her bed and began rummaging in her closet. Kiba looked inquisitively as she pulled two blankets and a few pillows from a high shelf. He smiled as she knelt and began making him a pallet to sleep on.

"You don't have to do that--"

"No, K-Kiba-kun, it's okay! I took to long talking to Nii-san, you wouldn't have been stuck here--"

"Stuck?"

They both got quiet, and Kiba sat up. He crawled over to sit by Hinata. He looked at her, and when she looked away, he pulled her chin towards him. They looked at each other and Kiba grinned, resting his hand on the ground again.

"I may be stuck, but it's no chore..." he said, an unusual, un-canine gentleness in his voice, "I like being with you, Hinata. I would have stayed if it wasn't rude anyways. Just to hang out... but I wanted you to rest. It was just a lucky coincidence that it was too late for me to leave..." his voice faded and he smiled at her again, the tiny points of his teeth protruding from under his lips.

She blushed a bit, and smiled back at him. "Th-thank you, Kiba-kun," she said timidly, working her thumbs around each other nervously. He grabbed one of her hands to stop her fidgeting. He grinned mischievously when she looked at him, confused. He shrugged and said, "I just notice that you do that a lot. And I like causing trouble," he cackled breathily.

She seemed to relax all over after a few moments of not fidgeting. She sighed and smiled. "I d-do do that a lot, don't I?" She laughed at herself. He laughed, too, letting her hand go, and hugging her gently sideways.

"Yeah, you do," he laughed. He stood up and helped her up, helped her in bed, and then knelt beside the edge of the bed. "G'night," he said, smiling softly, the lamp going out. He began to sit down when Hinata turned the light back on. He looked questioningly at her.

"A-ano, Kiba..." she said shyly, pressing her fingers together at first, and then stopping. She looked away, then at him,  
and asked, "you s-said you like being with m-me," she said, her face turning rosy. He nodded slowly, waiting for her to finish. "B-but," she swallowed audibly and looked away again, "d-do you _like_ me?"

He was taken aback at first, but, recovering quickly, he got up and sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her, avoiding looking at him. "That depends..." he started. Her face seemed to sadden, but she didn't say anything yet. "... Do you want me to like you?" he asked.

She looked at him, surprised by his response. She flushed a bit more and opened her mouth, as if to talk, nothing came out, and she closed it again. She looked around a bit, and finally said, "I-it depends..." he chuckled in his throat, "... I... I..."

She just couldn't seem to form words. "Well, anyways," he said, leaning toward the lamp, "the answer is yes."

The lights went out and she could feel his weight shift off of the bed. She grasped in the dark for his arm, hand, really just him. She grabbed his wrist, luckily enough, and gently pulled him to the edge of her bed. She could tell he was kneeling again, and her hand flew to the lamp switch.

Nothing happened, it stayed dark. She had blocked him switching it on. "...Hinata?" Her hand felt up his sleeve to his neck, then down to his chest, where she grabbed his jacket's zipper; she was now sitting up. She slowly pulled it down and helped it off of his wide shoulders.

It was very unlike her to make any kind of romantic move, but then again, it was very unlike anyone else to have feelings for her. If it had been Kiba in the forest, not Nii-san, she thought... their relationship was about the only thing keeping her from responding to Neji's foreplay. She didn't know why she thought of it as foreplay, either.

Kiba grew somewhat tense after a few moments. "Hinata-chan..." he whispered, cutting off his sentence. She shushed him and ushered him under the covers with her. It was very strange... she didn't know what was motivating her. She was learning a lot about herself, maybe all those years of Naruto's unrequited love had made her desperate...  
No, not desperate, just... eager.

Once Kiba finally got covered, Hinata turned sideways to be parallel against Kiba. She rested her hands on his shoulders, moving them around his neck, on his chest, lining his jaw... she nestled her nose into his collar bone and softly kissed him, closing her eyes.

She could feel Kiba wrap his arms around her and her stomach filled with butterflies as his strong hands massaged her back, and she shivered. She could feel Kiba smile and wrap his neck around hers as he began working his way under her shirt. "Don't worry," he whispered when she had a sharp intake of breath at the skin contact. "I'm not going to do anything..."

She sighed heavily and shivered again as his fingers danced across her back and sides. She let her arms wrap around his midsection as well, and gently pressed the muscles of his back. He groaned throatily but without opening his mouth when she took over massaging him.

Years of being in the Hyuuga clan and memorizing the keirakukei wasn't for nothing... and apparently, not just for fighting.

Kiba's noises got slightly louder and he grabbed her wrists quickly. He lay there for a few moments, breathing steadily, she could hear and feel his heart pounding.

"Hinata..." he breathed, "Any more of that, and you won't be able to hold me accountable for my behavior," he whispered this, but it was with much intensity and passion that these words were spoken. She let out a held breath.

She couldn't think of anything to say to him. She understood him completely, but... she didn't feel like sleeping, but did she want to turn something so fun into something so serious?

She slowly wrapped her legs around one of Kiba's, using it as leverage to push herself up. She wrapped her arms around his neck to finish pulling herself up, and lastly wrapped her thighs around his waist.

"I'll be h..." she breathed deeply, "held accountable this time," she said quietly, continuing with her massaging. He put his mouth on her shoulder, and breathed heavily into her as she pressed his buttons. She could feel the heat on his face.

"Are," he was panting slowly now, "are you really sure about this?" He was barely breathing the words as Hinata put more effort into her work. A rattling shiver went throughout him and he let out a moan.

"Okay, Hinata," he said, out of breath, but very readily now. He grabbed her sides and put her on her back, throwing the covers off of her bed. He kissed her, now having mounted her, trailing his kisses across her face, down her neck, to her collar bone, where he chewed a bit. Hinata was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it. She untied the sash across her waist for him, as he continued to kiss and chew. She opened her night robe, discarding it, as well.

He laughed, hot breath on her wet neck, as he worked his hand around her and unfastened the black bra she was wearing. She arched her back to make it easier on him, and indirectly ground into him.

He moaned into her neck when she did, and it was then that the absolute reality of the situation hit her. She was about to lose her virginity. To Kiba. And she had let it happen.

She had wanted it to be Naruto. But this, somehow, seemed much better. And she could literally feel his anticipation...

Why stop now?

* * *

_I know, I know, I should write the lemon, but I'm not. Too bad. I know. Sorry. I don't think it's appropriate for me to._

* * *


	4. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Hinata's eyes slowly fluttered open.

There were rectangular shadows cast from her blinds that only allowed thin bars of light to stripe her bed.

She closed her eyes again and heard Kiba snore.

Suddenly she remembered everything that had happened the night before. Her heart skipped a beat. She lay there, wide-eyed, trying to just feel something, trying to remember what could have possibly justified her behavior. Her heart skipped another beat as she realized one thing she'd forgotten last night...

She decided to shake it off, and just try to enjoy the morning. The morning after, her morning, with Kiba. She might just skip Hanabi's breakfast and do it again.

Her thoughts began to surprise her too much lately, she shook her head slightly, trying to dissipate them.

She shifted a bit under Kiba's weight, to find that his whole body was stuck to hers from the dried sweat. His face was right under hers, his cheek firmly glued by salt to her ribcage. She sighed, sending a flurry of Kiba's hair dancing. She smiled to herself and began twirling it between her fingers.

Kiba mumbled indistinctly and turned his face. With a suction that felt more like a tear, he flipped his face, and snored again. Hinata winced a bit when she saw the strawberry red shape of Kiba's face left on her chest, but just continued to stroke his hair.

He snorted softly and opened one eye wearily, then the other followed. He questioningly mumbled something that sounded like "Hinata?" and propped himself up on one elbow, more skin peeling apart like velcro. After glancing around a bit and rubbing his eyes, he looked down at Hinata and smiled weakly, leaning down again to kiss her neck.

She smiled back but winced a bit at the kiss; there were bite marks and soft spots all over her shoulders and neck from Kiba's... habits.

He nuzzled his nose into her neck and breathed softly on her skin, the sensitivity of it becoming aware to him. "Sorry about that," he breathed, the statement turning to laughter. "I'm pretty feral."

She laughed quietly, played with his hair some more, and replied, "I don't mind. Sometimes, I can be a little t-too domestic." Kiba smiled when she said this, kissing her neck again.

"I need to get up to tell Neji I'll be late," she said, moving under his weight, to which he picked himself up. She got up and felt the rush of cold air on her bare skin, shivering fiercely, and then feeling slightly uncomfortable due to her nakedness.

She quickly shuffled into her closet, donning first bra and panties. She then slipped on a casual robe, with a more formal, longer jacket on top. She tied a sash around her waist, an obi being too much to handle at the moment, and then walked back into her room. Kiba was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking contemplative.

"I guess we need to clean this all up," he said in a weak voice. She agreed, and her heart skipped a beat again when she remembered what she'd forgotten last night.

"K-Kiba-kun...?" she started, very weakly. He looked up at her, listening, and slightly worried by her voice. "Ah, uh... how bad is it that w-we forgot to use..." she swallowed audibly, "...protection?" He looked at her feet, suddenly, as if he hadn't thought about it.

"I... don't know." He stood up and walked over to her and grabbed her in a firm hug. "But whatever happens, don't worry..." he whispered into her ear. He stepped back a bit and looked her in the eyes, grinning widely. "How does a shower sound?" he asked, eagerly. She smiled back shyly and nodded.

He opened her bathroom door and held it open for her. When she was in, he followed and closed the door behind him. He sauntered towards her and took off the clothes she had just put on. "They're still clean," he mumbled as he hung them on the door. She stepped into the basin-like bath and pulled him in after. She pressed a few buttons on the wall and a warm water began showering them both.

Being in the shower was a thousand times better than watching. He washed her with a small cloth, and a soap that smelled exquisite. He was in heaven; showering with Hinata, in the coolest shower he'd ever been in, and his nose was thoroughly satisfied.

Hinata was just about having an out-of-body experience. She wasn't even able to begin to contemplate what this meant for her future with Kiba. This would change so much. But did it really matter? It's not like she had plans... although she couldn't say the same for her clan. She winced a bit and prayed mentally that they didn't want her to marry Neji.

She came back to reality when Kiba stopped bathing her and just held onto her instead. He had his hands firmly on her shoulders and they were both standing still, water dripping from every bit of them. Kiba closed his eyes and dipped his head down to nestle his nose against the wet skin of her neck. A shiver shook her through her spine as he kissed her with wet lips. She wrapped her arms around his back and he did the same to her.

She breathed into his shoulder and he continued his kisses.

But it had to stop, she knew the want for her presence would be coming soon. She ran her fingers up each side of Kiba's wet face and into his sopping hair to pull him away and tell him exactly what she needed to.

"Kiba-kun, we need to get out," she said softly, turning around to shut off the water. He still stood, and she made no efforts, herself, to rush the process. He just smiled and took a deep breath which then became a large sigh, and he grabbed her hand, stepping out of the basin, urging her to do the same. She followed suit.

He wrapped a towel around himself and then pulled one across her shoulders, drawing her in to press her against the damp skin of his bare chest. She couldn't say she minded. When she had situated herself, he grabbed a third towel and began to gently dry her hair, grabbing it in locks and running the towel down its length, soaking up the dripping ends, and treating her as if he were being paid to do it.

She grabbed a towel off the rail to her right, and massaged his back through the cloth, thoroughly but quickly drying him. He appreciated her dexterous fingers, and only wished he could return the favor, but he knew that all his hands were was clumsy. He brought the ends of the towels to her face, wrapped around the back of her head, and gently wiped her face. He smiled and rested his hands on her lower back and was tempted to chance lower, but this wasn't the time for anything like that. Whether or not he liked Hinata, above all, he respected her.

She pulled back a bit and rubbed his chest and stomach with the towel (his sides were ticklish, so she let him do that himself) and did the same to herself. He pouted a bit while watching her dry her breasts but he let it go. He was hanging out with Naruto too much...

He bit his lip and looked behind him. "I need to mask my chakra, I think..." he said nervously. She stiffened and nodded, quickly acquiring a day robe and exiting the bathroom just in time for someone to knock liberally on her door. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Coming!" she said softly, shuffling to the shouji, timidly easing it open. She wasn't surprised when a pair of eyes identical to her own, but with intensity she could never possess, met hers, as the space between the door and the door frame grew. They seemed to be quite a bit more intense at this moment than usual.

"Hinata-sama," he said. His words were sharp. Was he already mad at her?

"Neji-nii-san?" She responded, the door finally opened to its full extent. She shifted on her feet, anticipating his message. She only hoped he hadn't sensed Kiba...

"You know it's your sister's birthday," he bit, "and you know your presence is wanted." He turned and left quickly after speaking. His words and motions were bitter and crisp, and felt like a slap. She turned numbly, easing the door shut just as slowly as she had opened it. He must have sensed... But she wasn't going to worry about it. She was done with worrying about Neji's issues.

Kiba peered around the corner innocently. "Um...?" Hinata looked at him, to which he smiled sheepishly. "I guess I should figure out how to get out of here..." he said, looking thoughtfully at the window. She shook her head and rest against the wall, hands behind her back.

Hinata spoke up after several silent seconds of looking at the floor. "I thought about it just now and y-you know what, Kiba-kun?" He looked at her and she looked back with a soft smile. He cocked his head in question. "Just use substitution jutsu with a leaf or twig outside of h-here."

He laughed out loud and said, "You genius! Of course. Why'd I never think of it myself?" as he walked toward her. He was still half-naked, but she didn't care as he hugged her before departing. She hugged him back and they stayed there for a few seconds, very faintly moving back and forth. She could feel a slight rumble of laughter in his chest, and he asked, "So, Hinata... I was wondering what you might say to going to dinner with me tonight? You can pick where. And it doesn't have to be Ichiraku."

She smiled into his chest, and nodded. They stayed, still, embracing, a mellow swaying. And suddenly, she realized...

She didn't want him to go. She didn't even want to let go. She didn't want to see Neji, or Hanabi. She didn't want to do anything but forget about everything but him. She didn't know why and it didn't matter. He mattered. And she mattered to him. And she wasn't an object, or a tool... she was Hinata, and he wanted to have dinner tonight_._

* * *

_Hey guys, thanks for reading~ I hope you liked!_

_EXTREMELY SORRY FOR THE HORRIBLE WAIT! You have no idea how horrible I feel... ugh! Sorry again, guys. /3_

_-Narutard_


	5. Bonds

A short series of quick, sharp rapping on her door made Hinata jump. She turned around, walking to the door, almost knowing who was behind the door as if she had seen the future already, and had seen it happen. As she reached far the door handle, she prepared herself for a very angry Neji.

Just as she knew it would be him, she knew that _he_ knew. He knew that Kiba had just left. He knew that Kiba had been there the previous night...

Her throat felt smaller and drier as Neji's concerned face was revealed by the sliding door. He was already looking straight into her eyes, the same penetration as always. She half-expected him to lash out and strike her, but instead of even speaking, he moved forward with one smooth motion, pushing her further into her room and shutting the door behind him.

His glare was unspeakably intense, but with much different emotion than she had expected. She expected pure anger. There was undeniably anger in the gaze, but he seemed hurt, as well. After several seconds of the potent silence, Hinata shifted uncomfortably and Neji turned to the side, walking farther into her room, closer to her bed. He stood away from her briefly, and then turned himself around. She looked at him and was suddenly aware that her expression was probably just as guilty as his was angry.

He inhaled as if he were about to speak, held his breath and then scoffed. She frowned as he gathered his resolve.

"I would ask what happened here, but I already know, it's so obvious," his voice was not as sharp and rude as she anticipated, but still very hurtful. They both winced, Hinata at being scolded, and Neji at his thoughts. Their eyes met again and she felt some remorse. He had never dealt with her so humanely, and it was much more effective. His eyes betrayed him, she was sure, as they flashed a very wounded look. She wondered what on Earth he could possibly care so much about, so suddenly.

His jaw clenched and he spoke again. "I mean, don't you have _any_ shame?" He paused as she fiddled with her fingers. "Here, in this household... in your room, right after..." the silence strained, and he scoffed again. He seemed like he was going to turn, but instead rushed past her towards the door.

She watched him and turned as he passed, opening her mouth as if to defend herself, but there was nothing she could say.

He stopped for a moment at the door. "I've no intentions of distancing you, but if you're supposedly 'making sacrifices for the clan', then you may reconsider whether or not you _should_ go to dinn-- spend time with him." He looked at her through the corner of his eye. She, in the clarity of the moment, spoke out.

"You were _eavesdropping_?" It was barely more than a whisper. She was shocked, but somehow, not at all. They stood for a second. He said nothing, and quickly exited.

The silent slam of the light door and fading, padded steps of her cousin were no consolation prize for what had just taken place.

She wanted to be angry with Neji, to cry for her happiness's sake, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to even pity herself. Although she didn't feel sorry for Neji, he had reacted because... she hurt his feelings. Not as if he was furious at some outrage... he had begun to shift his thinking of her and, although there was no commitment... she had betrayed his trust to some degree.

She rubbed her face in frustration and frowned. Her morning had started wonderfully. And suddenly, it was no longer wonderful.

Either way, she knew she could not skip Hanabi's breakfast now. She secured her ukata and sighed a remorseful sigh as she left her room.

* * *

Neji sat alone in the dimly lit room. Each of his hands held a knee, his arms pressed to him as he leaned forward slightly. Several hours had passed since he and Hinata had arrived pleasantly at the Hyuuga household. After getting himself ready to sleep and patrolling the grounds once, he settled himself on his bed.

In a moment of care, he activated his Byakugan, just to focus on Hinata's room, just to make sure she was okay and had gotten to bed in one piece. What he saw was her in bed with Kiba, luckily not too involved yet, but enough to make Neji sick. The shock hit him hard. He gagged and felt his stomach knot. He felt like retching.

Instead, he was now sitting here, unable to regain the euphoria-like sleepiness he had owned only a few seconds ago. His hands were white from the pressure of his grip on his knees. His teeth were clenched, and he closed his eyes. He inhaled sharply, and exhaled a long sigh. With furrowed brows, he lay down to sleep, although for the next hour or so, the only thing he did was stare angrily at the ceiling.

A solitary tear escaped each eye, slowly rolled down the sides of his face, and silently dampened his pillow. He clenched his jaw again, rolled over, and closed his eyes tightly. Maybe the pure exhaustion would allow him to sleep.  
Eventually, it did.

* * *

The new sun, only barely in the sky, seemed more intense than it ever had. Kiba rubbed his sleepy eyes lazily, Akamaru feeling none of the same lag. He trotted gently, Kiba bouncing rhythmically on his back. Resting his hands on Akamaru's mane-like neck, he thought pleasantly back on his evening, night and morning with Hinata. An innocent smile spread across his face, quickly followed by a mischievous one.

He was eager to get back to his place and sleep, because he thought he would probably dream about Hinata. At that time, he also noted the ungodly hour at which the Hyuugas woke up. Guessing from the sun, he knew it couldn't be later than 6:30. "Well, it's not THAT early... just way too early for us... right, Akamaru?" he patted his dog's shaggy head and received a half-hearted yip from the beast.

As he lay his face into Akamaru's thick fur he thought about the recent past. He was nearly stunned in his morning daze. Could all of that really have happened? Was Hinata being real? What about Neji, or any of her family, for that matter? He closed his eyes and sighed, too much thinking for the morning.

Akamaru stopped and Kiba rolled off of his back. "Ahh..." he moaned achingly, "it's good to be home..." His eyes were half-lidded and although he believed his words, he knew it would be better to be with Hinata again.

* * *

The Hyuuga complex, mostly outdoor hallways and courtyards, was turning a light shade of orange as the sun began to set. Hinata sat by herself on the edge of the wooden walkway, the walkway that bordered the sparring area she and Neji should be putting to use at the very moment.

She sighed, her face resting in her hands. Being miserable and moping was her way of dealing with her day right now. She resolved to visit Kiba, spend some time, and tell him that her family required her for the evening.

She didn't feel like it was a lie... but still, she couldn't help feeling a heart-wrenching sadness at the thought of discarding a date with Kiba! She let her face fall to her knees and scratched the back of her head.

"Hinata-sama,"

Her head whipped upright quicker than she was prepared for, and she said it, spinning. "Neji-nii-san?" As the world halted, she saw him looking at her with nearly the same eyes as this morning. But, if his eyes had been a fire then, they were now the glowing coals. "Yes?" She asked it nearly too eagerly.

His eyes darted to the grass briefly, and then back to her eyes. "You should meet Kiba-kun... he's expecting you." Their eyes never left each others' for the next several seconds as Hinata's changed from eager to surprised and then to hopeful. A small smile broke across her face.

"Y-you mean it, nii-san?" her stutter even came back. He softly laughed, closed his eyes and nodded. The smile quickly left his face and he turned to leave.

She sat in awe for a few moments, but before he was gone, she called, "Nii-san!" She was standing as he turned around to answer her call. She was walking to him.

She reached him and drew him into a firm hug, saying nothing for a while. He was surprised, but returned the gesture, and they allowed the moment to last for several seconds. She turned her face to rest on his chest, and sighed. His hand absently fiddled with a lock of her long hair.

"I'm terribly sorry, nii-san..." she whispered. He stopped fiddling with her hair, and sighed as well. His face rested atop her head, and she nuzzled her nose to him.

His palm stroked a long, wide bit of hair slowly, and he whispered back, "I want to forgive you." She paused, not sure what he meant, but just continued to hug him. Luckily, he sighed and went on. "I thought, for some reason, that we had both... decided... to try... something else." She felt his brows furrow on top of her head.

She blinked, only half-opening her eyes. He struggled with his words, but went on. "And, it wasn't meant to snoop on you, but I looked to your room with my Byakugan last night, and... well, you know what you did." Her heart skipped a beat, she felt guilty. _You know what you did_. He made it sound so... bad.

However, she let it go, and acknowledged instead that he was actually hurt. Her hands raised and pressed against his back. "I am... very sorry..." she reiterated. "I don't know how to... help you forgive me." He raised his face from her head, and she looked up out of instinct. They locked gazes for a moment.

Neji slowly leaned farther down until their lips met softly. She had closed her eyes without deciding to, but ignored herself and just kissed him. One of her hands moved to rest on his jaw; at the same time, he moved both of his to hold her face.

It seemed so strange at first, to be kissing nii-san. His long hair fell in thick locks, like a curtain around them... plus, he was so much taller than she realized. But she ignored herself again and they continued the kiss, a slow and soft kiss that was more symbolic of their reconciliation than of a romance. Still, she couldn't help but feel it.

The two feelings she had silently hoped would never come.

One, that she felt like more than family to Neji. Obviously that was passed a few days ago, but this was something entirely different.

And two... that it meant enough to feel like she had betrayed Kiba's trust. Before she knew it, the kiss was over, and had been over. She was so lost in her thoughts that she couldn't remember when it had ended and when she and Neji had gotten so close.

In her sudden awareness, it felt as if they were trying to diffuse into each other. Her body was so flat against his, his warmth nearly overwhelming. She sighed, still hidden by their curtain. She finally realized that they were also looking at each other. She broke the gaze shyly, glancing between his chest and face.

Her hands slid from his tall neck and shoulder to his chest, and in doing so, put a small amount of space between them that hadn't been there. Even the tiny amount of air that flooded in seemed like ice between their hot bodies, and she shivered once, very hard. He chuckled in a low tone and stroked her hair with his palm again.

She was flushed, realizing how promiscuous she was being. Being advanced on by her own cousin, then she slept with her teammate, and now, to top it all off... she's kissing and being so very intimate with nii-san, much less right before a date.

Her thoughts had distracted her again.

Then a movement from Neji caught her off-guard, a semi-squat. He then lifted her like a child, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her face was pink, and she closed her eyes as he began to walk.

Before she knew it, Neji was setting her down. They were standing at the Hyuuga gates.

Through her surprise, she managed to smile. He smiled back, but it was the same fleeting, hurt smile. He took a step back and bowed his head slightly. She bowed her head back, lower than he had, and then looked him in the eyes.

"I'll be back, nii-san," He nodded. "W-wait here."

Then she was gone. Neji stared at her empty space for a moment, and then sighed. He was frustrated with himself. He felt as if he should just leave her alone, after all, he was only intrigued, and it was obvious to him what there was between her and Kiba.

Still, he couldn't but help feel a flare of jealousy, and wished he could rationalize it. Instead, he just sat and began to meditate. "Hmm..."

Hinata had fled from the Hyuuga household, but after she was far enough away, she just walked.

As her shoes softly clicked the cobblestone pathways of Konoha, she watched the ground and thought. Thought about Neji, about Kiba, about Hanabi... even about Naruto. But that was probably because she had looked up to see him walking in her direction.

She smiled as he got closer and said hello quietly, expecting him to just wave happily and pass, or maybe say hello, but nothing like, say...

"Hinata-chan! Oi! Hi~~!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, running for a few feet to catch up with her. Her eyes were wide with surprise as he stopped in front of her and smiled.

"H-hi, Naruto-kun...!" she said back, and returned the smile, a light flush covering her face. _Oh, no..._ she thought, _now what can go wrong?_

"Hey, hey," he said, suddenly looking very inquisitive. Hinata raised her eyebrows, and he continued. "The weirdest thing happened today, I went to visit Kiba--" Her eyes widened. He must know everything--! Everything he said went in one ear and out the other. Her face turned dark and she began to stutter gibberish.

He stopped and she eventually did, too, when he just looked confused. She stood awkwardly and then cleared her throat. "Uhm, wh-what were you saying?" Naruto stood for a moment, confused, but then shrugged and talked again.

"I was saying that Kiba was wa~y tired when I went to visit him and he kept talking about you and he didn't even want to go get Ramen!" Naruto was in a fit. "I was even gonna pay!" Hinata just laughed quietly, and then Naruto calmed down. "So, yeah... I was gonna ask if you knew anything about it-- since he kept saying 'Hinata this, and Hinata that'-- no one else has any idea." He pouted.

"Uhm, um... well," she started, hoping he hadn't asked too many people about her and Kiba, "we were going to... um, going to dinner tonight, and we were hanging out yesterday, so, um..." her fingers fidgeted. "A-and Kiba didn't say anything about... anything th-that happened?" Here eyes darted around, embarrassed. Naruto looked the same for a while, but a smile slowly spread across his face.

Hinata stopped and asked, "What?" as the smile got bigger and he began chuckling, his mouth covered.

He slowly raised his fist to his shoulder, and stuck his pinky out. "So it's that way, huh~~?" He asked, giggling again. She let her jaw drop involuntarily, and turned redder. "He's your _this_!"

Though she couldn't deny it, because it wasn't necessarily untrue, she just stammered and then buried her face in her hands. He laughed and then pat her shoulder. She looked up at him smiling, a hand on his hip.

"I knew it! And everyone always said you liked me-- how funny!" he laughed again and passed her, saying "Alright, I get it now! Bye-bye, Hinata!" She flushed again.

She looked over her shoulder and watched him leave. "...I_ did_ always like you," she said to herself, after he had gone. But now she stood and just smiled a bit. _But now I realize why... you were always my idol. Kiba always liked me, and I never knew it..._ she smiled._ How ironic_.

She continued on her way to see Kiba, and even though she was only going to have to tell him that she couldn't stay, she was smiling, looking forward to it. They had forever to spend time together. She closed her eyes in a smile.

* * *

_Well, if you guys aren't too upset with my lack of savvy, I had a heart procedure!! So I finished this chapter entirely on drugs. :D_

_Hahah. Thank you for reading, and most of all... WAITING! I'm eternally sorry!!_


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